Grave set



3 Sheetsv-Sheet l R. Y. WOLFE GRAVE sET Filed Dec. 27, 1943 May l5, 1.945

May 15, 1945. R, Y, w0| FE r 2,376,107

GRAVE SET Filed Deo. 27, 1943 'i 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 L Bnventor [Gttorneg May 15, 1945. R. Y. WOLFE GRAVE SET Filed neo. 27, 1945 5 sheets-sheet s ulm@ M .ILI

(Ittorneg 0 Patented May 15, `1945 u Y astenuti l sin' j flhisfinvention irelatesfto a grave Lset which is easilyatransportedto'thefburialfground andfeliminatesfftheinecessity of .usingwthe complicated;

heavy :andfhulky .grave sets andlgives aheautil ful grave Lat' i. aeiggreatly; areduced zcost,A :and elimi-- nates all .mechanical devices :if desired, such .as

casket. placersr and llowering rdevices;` if In ausing v the egrave .'set, it iis preferable'fto use -the casket box Lor ivault Aas '.a support and 'to' eliminate the necessity Lof susing a. lowering ldevice and placer settasathe use of. same usually takes -twonr 'more ment, the box or :vault, :the fplacer and 'flowering device-*the Lgrass flset,y the chairs, vand. ingr-ave ztent,` andwitatakestwmmen torfset'talgraveusing'valllof this isheavyllequipment L on account' lof Ithe' l.weight of f same I. and :its fbulk. After the funeral l service, ittakes a rtruckftoY-carxytheold'type off-equipment-backlto the ifun'eralfhome. "By theusel 'of myimprovedldrape cover. grave set, it takes only.

thatl isi' tofcarryfthe casket? box tor vault and "tent,` 'andi-:after-the ser-vice is''over at -tl'iergravefthel drape cover 'figrave :setY can be' putin ithefhear'se or-"Ia passenger car 'fand carried back tof the funeral hoine. 2 One impo'rtant fa'dvantage Vof`v thisgrave lset is that Tit eliminates i added 'expense 'finic'es of a local A'funf'aifallf h'ome A-costing a I great proportion of 'the' ip'rofit arising V'from s'uchservices By vusing Athe drape'cover grave fset,` :the funeraldirector need'v'notwhire ya'ntither funeral'y homey to set-thegravainorfis itf-necessaryifor`l1im to send hisftruck, -ffor'thefpresent gravecover set will-nt nicely f-in=v his vhearsegv#and he not #only saves* the expense," but also savesll fuel and tires *and yextra' help by 1 the use v`of v-this improvedgraveset.

It is therefore an objec't-off'tl'iis Einvention to providea vgravefset preferablyfiade in two sections and adapted to #be 'joinedtogether' and fitted over the top of va. casketboxV orplaced'on a 4grave vau'ltflbottom or grave vvault :depending upon 'fthe' typev of grave vault used; and having drapery `thereon vlwliich' covers lowering deviees or- Lsui'lportin'g devices for the casket Ibox land toms? l. e f s fIt' is l'another *objectief 'lithisffinvention .to Iproviiefa grave set""comprising=a 'casket support madefinf two flsectionslfandlfv-covered withvsuitable' 55 n l y l 7 'naierifxwolfe, Roekmu, s. c; fapplieauolnecemberfzv, 194s, seriaiNo. 515,193

draperyland adapted ,tobeslifdendwise over the casket lbox tov support the casket; at the funeral service, andhaving-draperies `extending downwardly vtherefromwlfiich entirely cover the grave,`

f scriptionfproceeds, when taken in; connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which-,v y

-Fi-gure lis an isometric View of vthe grave -set in rpositionover a casket box; f,

Figure 2 isa :top rrplan view of 'the grave set,

`omitting the draperies;

@Figure 3 is ya `side relevation .of the `grave set looking :fromfthe -lower side of ting the draperies;`

r'Figure 4 Ais across-sectional viewtaken along theline 4-4 in Figure 2., showing the fabric refmovedffrom-the endof lthe section, and lin. cross section, :and omitting the .-rollers, their brackets, andA the -vertically disposed rollers .on top of,v the sectionfll'; t j

Figure 5 is ia vertical sectional view taken along one .endjofthe grave and showingthe end of the casketbox'and the grave setfand casketv in elevatiori;`r I s Figure .6 Yis; a `,viewfsimilar Ito Figure 5, but showing theffappar-atus 'being used with a lowering device, and :employing agvaultlbottom instead ofga. casket KVlooxifor supporting the gravejset vand the-casket disposed thereon. f y

, Referringgmore specifically to the drawings, theanuxnerals 10x-and l I indicate ,the two vsections of the' topfboardgorplane surface of the k.grave set; ,I'Ihese sections :l0 and A'I I rcanb'e ofanysuitplastic, fm=aterial,or anypiotherk suitable ,light weight material. l g y ,n

To fthe bottom oflsection Ill kis secured by any suitablelmeans such as screws I v2, [elongated strips t3 andsl land'toxthezbottom :of the section l0 .are

, secured elongated :strips i5 `.and |36. The ystrips l5 `and IS'chavefsecured on their lower surfaces on the .gend ljoining thesection H channel :iron

members AITI-and lsand the strips I3 and |14 have secured thereonstrap membersfl. and Al0 which project ntoithe spacegbetweenfthefchannel members-dil and fqzandthe'strips `ligand 'IBzwheni the twosection'sztf and H :are in;assemb1ed position.v

The structure shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4 eliminates the drapery, which is clearly shown in Figures l, 5, and 6, except that in Figures 5 and 6, the end drapery is omitted.

The section I0 has its tcp covered with suitable drapery material 25, and on top of this drapery material, there are mounted strap iron members 26, 21, and 28 having a plurality of holes 29 therein in which vertically disposed pins 30 are disposed, each of the pins having a roller 3| thereon. These pins and rollers are adjustable in various holes 29 to' correspond to the length and width of the casket being employed. Alsop.,

mounted on top of the fabric covering section I6 is a pair of brackets 32 and 33 having each a roller 34 and 35 therein for supporting one endof a casket y p l The section I I likewise has brackets 36, 31, and 38 secured to the section I I, these brackets-fitting on top of the fabric or drapery material cov! ering the top` of the section II, and having rollers 40, 4 I, and 42 therein for supporting the other end of the casket on the grave set. The sides and ends of the' sections I0 and II have suitable drapery material secured thereto which hangs in folds or pleats downwardly any desired distance to rest on the ground outside the periphery of the grave. A

This apparatus can be employed by using a conventional lowering device having straps extending across the grave, but it is preferable to employ it without the lowering device, and ln such instance, a pair of rigid iron` members 46 and 41. are employed near each end of the grave which dip downwardly and have a transverse horizontal portion extending across the grave which supports the casket preferably with its bottom from six to ten inches below the top of the grave. Suitable strapsl 49 can be placed near each end of the casket, so that when the funeral service `is over, and it is desired to lower the casket into the grave, the attendants can lift the casket, and one attendant at each end can pull the sections III and I I apart from each other and remove them from the top of the casket box 50 which is supported on top of the members 46 and 41, then the casket is lowered into the box and the lid is secured in position, and then the casket box with the casket therein is lifted slightly and the iron members 46 and 41 are moved out to each end of the casket box and removed from the grave, and then the casket box with its casket therein can be lowered to the bottom of the grave. Of course, if a lowering device is used instead of the iron members I46 and 41, the lowering device would be operated to lower the casket box into the grave 66. f

The members I3, I4, I5, and I6 not only serve to impart rigidity and strength to the sections III and II, but they are also adapted to t immediately inside the upper` edges of the casket box 56 and to prevent sidewise and endwise motion of the grave set relative to the casket box. Of course, casket boxes vary in size and these members I3 to'IS are so positioned beneath the sections I0. and II as to fit the conventional size of the casket box, and of course,`when a large casket box is used, these strips I3 to I6 inclusive would be disposed some distance away from the sides and ends of the casket box, but would still prevent any great movement of the grave set re1- ative to the casket box.

In Figure 6, it is shown how the grave set could be used with a lowering device, and also how it could be used when a vault is employed insteadrofA a casket box. Here there are shown rods 60 and 6I disposed along each side of the grave, these being the conventional rods or tubes of a conventional lowering device, and as is well known in the art, these rods or tubes 60 and 6I have suitable canvas straps 62 extending from one to the other for supporting the casket or vault bottom or casket box thereon. It is evident that this type of lowering device could be used for supporting the conventional casket box 50, or it can be used for supporting the bottom. 65 of a vault, and this vault bottom would support the ,grave set comprising sections I0 and II and associated parts, and the casket would be placed on top of the grave set comprising sections I0 and \II,- andlike reference characters will apply to the'grave set as shown in Figure 6 as appearing .''in theother figures of the drawings.

It is `thus seen that by the use of this grave set, the same can be taken apart and the two sections can have the sides and end draperies folded up onto the top portion anda suitable cover or wrapping placed around the same to protect the draperies, and these two sections can easily t into a hearse and by use of the supporting members 4B `and `41, an expensive and bundlesome lowering'device does not fhave to be used, although it is quite evident that the apparatus can be used as well with a lowering mechanism as with the supports 46 and 41. One advantage of this grave set is that its two sections can be stored in a hearse and it does not require expensive transportation equipment to set up a grave.

Whether the supports 46 or 41 are used, or Whether alowering device is used, the casket is placed in position either on the supports 46 or 41, or on the straps 62 on a lowering device, and the casket lid, of course, is removed and the two sectionsof the grave set are slid together, and are disposed on top of the casket box. This results in the draperies falling down and covering en'tirelythel grave, and furthermore, the casket box just about fills the top of the grave, and prevents caving, in of the grave, reduces the neces,- sity of having to put grass mats inside the grave as where a conventional lowering device is used, and even when a conventionallowering device is used, the draperies of my improved grave set completely cover the lowering device, and also causes the relatives andothers who may be adjacent the grave from stepping into the space between the casket box and the grave, and especially since with the use of the supports 46 and 41, the casket box is lowered into the grave, thus making it impossible for anyone to step into the open grave and thus injuring himself.

In the end elevations of the grave sei'l and casket in Figure 6, it is noted that the rollers are somewhat shorter than those shown in Figure 3, it being evident that any desired length of roller can be employed, and also any desired number of these rollers can be employed. I show only ve rollers on the grave set, but it is evident that any suitable number ofy additional rollers can be used as might be desired.

Whenthis grave set isA used with a conventional lowering device, the casket box is placed on the straps of the lowering device, and the top of the casket box is removed and then by use of the conventional lowering device, the box is let down into the grave sixto ten inches, and by doing this, the box blocks the grave and keeps anyone from stepping into the space between the casket box and the. edge of the grave, and it also prevents waterfrom Vgetting into the` casket box, as here-` tofore this casket box has been lowered into the grave rst, and then the casket is supported on the lowering device. With the casket box in lowered position, the grave set comprising sections IU and His placed over the open top of the box, and the drapery on the sides let down whichcompletely covers the casket box, the lowering each end of the grave set remove the sections Ill and II from the grave set, andthe casket is lowered into the casket box by hand or short straps, and the casket box top is put on and screwed into position, and after the top is secured, the box is lowered into the` grave.

If desired, the grave set can be used without the use of lowering devices and without the use of the downwardly bent members (6 and 41 as plain boards or other means may be placed across the top of the grave for supporting the casket box, but it is preferable to lower it into the the above-specined reasons.

In the drawings and specification, there has grave, for 'i been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation,

the scope of 'the invention being defined in the claim. v

I claim: y

In a grave set, `a board-like member adapted to rest lon top-of a casket box, Vault, and the like disposed above an open grave, said board-like member having a plurality of rollers on its upper surface for supporting a casket, a pair 'of vertically disposed` and laterally adjustable guide members disposed adjacent each side edge of the member, a vertically disposed and longitudinally adjustable guide memberdisposed adjacent one end of the member for limiting endwise movement of the casket on said member, said boardylike member being severed transversely near its center to form two sections, apair of laterally spaced and longitudinally extending strips secured to the lower surface of the two sections and having their proximate ends abutting against each other, the strips on one section having cavities in their ends-adjacent the other section and the strips on the other section having projections extending therefrom adapted -to iit into the cavities in the ends of the first-named strips.

aoBERT- Y. wom. 

